Medical-Reference

Description: Smog from motorized vehicles is one of the common environmental problems in large cities of Asia and Southeast Asia (Haze in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia). Air pollution is a significant environmental determinant of human health. Over the past decades, studies conducted in various parts of the world documented a number of hazardous effects of ambient air pollution on health. A recent WHO report also suggests that the pollution kills about 1 in 8 people globally . Of the many determinants of air pollution, the adverse effects of particulate matter (PM) on health outcomes are well documented. However, while there is no evident and appropriate safe level of exposure, the PM issue has been seriously underestimated in most of the developing countries, particularly countries in the Middle East and South Asia. More surprisingly, the EU limit for PM 2.5 is still more than twice of the WHO recommendation. In 2008, the EU directive established an annual average PM 2.5 threshold lev

Particulate matter (PM) or particle pollution in the air is a mixture of airborne tiny particles and liquid droplets that is consists of tiny solid fragments, liquid fragments, and fragments mixing with both solid and liquid. These tiny fragments are made up of various components, such as acids, toxic exhaust, organic chemicals, metal, dust, soot, soil, or a mixture of these components. There are many classes of particulates. However, among these classes, PM 10 and PM 2.5 are the mostly regulated ones. PM 10 refer to inhalable coarse particles that are with diameter of about 10 micrometers. PM 2.5 refer to fine particles that are with diameter 2.5 micrometers and smaller. The above diagram showing size distribution of different types of airborne particles in micrometres (µm). Sources of PM 2.5 There are both natural and anthropogenic (i.e. manmade) sources of PM 2.5. Carbonaceous (organic) material from traffic causes a direct adverse effect on health and has been identified a